Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with May 23.

Events

1835 – Robert James Graves (1796-1853) during his clinical lectures at the Meath Hospital described three women with palpitations, goitre, and ocular changes of exophthalmic goitre (Graves disease). His report was published in the London Medical and Surgical Journal on May 23, 1835

1975 – U.S. Food and Drug Administration publishes the “4-inch turtle rule” (21 CFR 1240.62), banning commercial sale/distribution of live turtles (and viable turtle eggs) with a carapace length <4 inches to reduce turtle-associated salmonellosis in children. As a a public health intervention reducing zoonotic disease the ruling is estimated to prevent over 100,000 cases of Salmonellosis in children annually in the US alone.

2000 – World Turtle Day is created by American Tortoise Rescue and observed each year on May 23 to promote turtle/tortoise protection and habitat conservation. World Turtle Day wasn’t created as an FDA commemoration but as a separate conservation observance.

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Births

1938 – Nadia Awni Sakati, Syrian-Saudi pediatrician; described Sakati-Nyhan-Tisdale syndrome (1971), Woodhouse–Sakati syndrome (1983), and Sanjad-Sakati syndrome (1991)

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Deaths

No major medical milestones added for this date yet — this page is being expanded

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Further reading

• § 1240.62 Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements.
• World Turtle Day